29-07-2010 2009 Home Office figures show 2.6 million procedures on animals
On 26 July the Home Office released figures on the use of animals in scientific procedures in the UK in 2009. Animals Count believes that while the number of animals may have decreased per experiment, the number of procedures has increased each year, thereby increasing the total number of animals used in research, testing and education. The Government must take serious action to halt this trend by funding research into alternative methods and setting reduction targets. Replacement methods that do not rely on the use of animals are the way forward for scientifically valid and humane resesarch.
It is somewhat encouraging to see the very slight reduction in animal procedures of around 1% compared with the previous year, to just over 3.6 million in 2009. Some 3.5 million animals were used for the first time in procedures commencing in 2009 – also a fall of 1%. (Some animals are used repeatedly, resulting in a greater number of procedures than animals).
However, this must be kept in perspective. This fall followed six previous annual increases, and remains the second highest total since the current method of recording was introduced in 1987 – more than 20 years ago.
It was particularly encouraging to see an overall reduction in the use of primates by 7%, although new world primate use increased very substantially. The advanced emotional, psychological and social capacities of primates markedly increase their risks of suffering within laboratory environments and procedures. They have advanced capacities to understand and remember that certain people, tools or procedures are likely to cause pain and distress, and their ability to anticipate future aversive experiences is likely to compound the distress such events may cause. Disturbingly, around 30% of all EU primate experiments occur within the UK.
Even more disturbing was the steadily increasing use of genetically altered animals, which exceeded the number of non-GM animals used for the first time. 52 % of procedures involved animals that were genetically altered, of which a large proportion were used for breeding. The production of genetically modified strains involves surgical procedures and significant physiological challenges. It is also an inherently inefficient process, frequently resulting in a high proportion of discarded animals, with the welfare of the survivors more likely to be adversely affected than for non-GM strains.
Animals Count calls on the Government to use scientific evidence, demonstrating the poor predictability of animal models for human toxicological outcomes and medical progress, to ban invasive use of animals in research, testing and education.
